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New Delhi: BJP members react on the Supreme Court's verdict on Rafale issue, in the Lok Sabha during the Winter Session of Parliament, New Delhi, Friday, Dec 14, 2018. (PTI) [/caption]
New Delhi, Dec. 14 (PTI): Buoyed by the Supreme Court clean chit to the Rafale jet deal, the government Friday launched a counter-offensive on the opposition in Parliament, seeking an apology from Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for "misleading" the nation.
The two Houses were adjourned for the day amid sparring between the treasury and the opposition benches on the issue.
In the Lok Sabha, during the Question Hour, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Narendra Singh Tomar demanded an apology from the Congress and Rahul Gandhi following the top court verdict on the jet deal.
Amid slogan shouting between the two sides, the House was adjourned for nearly 40 minutes during the Question Hour.
When the House reassembled at noon, Home Minister Rajnath Singh demanded that Rahul Gandhi should apologise on the floor of the House for "misleading" the country on the Rafale deal issue.
He said, Gandhi's allegations have "damaged" the reputation of the country in the international fora.
In the Rajya Sabha, Leader of the House and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was heard saying that the Opposition has been demanding a debate on the jet deal, therefore, the question hour should be suspended to take up the issue.
Friday was the fourth day of the Winter session. While the two Houses were adjourned for the day on day one after obituary references to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and some sitting members, little business has been transacted for the past two days amid opposition protests.
In the Lok Sabha, while the Congress raked up the Rafale issue, AIADMK members raised issues related to Cauvery river water. The TDP was demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh. Members of these parties were in the Well holding placards and shouting slogans.
While Trinamool Congress members were on their seats, some Left members were holding placards demanding JPC on Rafale issue.
Even after the House was adjourned for the first time at 11.10 AM, BJP members raised slogans such as 'gali-gali mein shor hai, Rahul Gandhi chor hai'.
Opposition parties led by the Congress have been attacking the Modi government over the deal, alleging that it was struck at an exorbitant price and benefited an Indian businessman at the cost of the government-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. The charges have been denied by the government.
Amid protests by Congress members in the Lok Sabha, Home Minister Singh said, "Rahul Gandhi should apologise on the floor of the House for misleading the country on the Rafale jet deal issue for political gains".
The Supreme Court Friday gave the Narendra Modi government a clean chit on the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France and dismissed all petitions seeking a direction to the CBI to register an FIR for alleged irregularities in the deal.
The apex court said there was no occasion to doubt the decision-making process in the multi-billion dollar Rafale deal.
Singh said the Congress itself was facing grave allegations of graft and their ministers have been sent to jail over corruption charges.
"They know that they have drowned, so they want to take us along (Woh chahate hain ke hum toh dube hain sanam, tumhe bhi le doobenge)," the home minister said.
Singh said the Supreme Court observed that the deal was a financial advantage to the nation.
The Congress, however continued with their demand for a JPC to probe the issue.
No sooner Rajya Sabha assembled for the Zero hour, members of the Samajwadi Party raised slogans relating to the recent violence in UP's Bulandshahar district while AIADMK members trooped into the well over the Cauvery river water issue.
Upbeat by the clean chit given by the Supreme Court on the Rafale deal, members of treasury benches were heard raising slogans demanding an apology from the Congress president for his alleged lies on the issue.
Congress members too entered the Well of the House to demand a probe by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) into the purchase of jets from the French company Dassault.
Amidst uproar, the members were heard raising slogans -"We want JPC" and "Chowikdar Chor Hai".
BJP members were heard shouting slogans like 'Rahul Gandhi Jhootha Hai' (Rahul Gandhi is a liar).
The uproar started as soon as the proceedings began following which Deputy Chairman Harivansh first adjourned the House till 1130 hours.
However, as the protests intensified, he adjourned the Rajya Sabha till Monday after his repeated attempts to bring order in the House failed.
Before adjourning the House for the day, Harivansh tried to run the Zero Hour proceedings smoothly and some of the members even read out mentions amid uproar.
Unlike other days, there was ruckus in the House even when ministers were laying listed paper on the table of the House.
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday rejected the Congress' demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Rafale aircraft deal and said the "family" was not above the Supreme Court in a democracy.
Addressing a press conference here with Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman hours after the Supreme Court dismissed petitions seeking a court-monitored probe into the purchase of 36 Rafale jet fighters, Jaitley said the apex court verdict was absolute and conclusive and the "truth in such matters come from judicial process and not on the basis of political partisan lines".
"Was there any partiality in the deal? Was nation's security compromised? Was the due process not followed? Truth in such cases is found through judicial process and not by dividing on partisan basis. Investigations can never be done and reviews of this can never be done by a body of partisan division," he said.
Jaitley referred to the JPC over Bofors guns deal and said it was divided on political lines and conclusions of its chairman were subsequently rejected by courts.
He did not name Congress President Rahul Gandhi but accused him of spreading lies and attacked him repeatedly.
"In politics all over the world there is a tradition that if you lie, you resign or can be impeached. Presidents have been impeached for speaking lies. At least this should happen. Till yesterday Congress was demanding a discussion on Rafale. Today we said start it immediately. Those who built untruth, they should keep it in Parliament," he said.
Asked about Gandhi's allegation of crony capitalism, he said "people not able to understand complex issues rely on such slogans".
"That is my understanding of his politics," Jaitley said and termed Gandhi's allegations of procedures not being followed in the deal as "fiction writing".
Asked about the Congress stance that judiciary was not the right forum to decide about the deal, Jaitley alleged that the narrative was being created by Nehru-Gandhi family.
"They refuse to accept even the Supreme Court verdict just because of falsehood created by a family. In our democracy, family is not above the Supreme Court. Do they think the untruth of a family is above the Supreme Court?"
He said there was a fundamental difference between truth and falsehood.
"The truth always holds together, explains everything but falsehood was bound to fall apart, indeed it has a short life. In this case, it is few months. Falsehood lowers credibility of creator. The Rafale issue had each of these features. The disrupters have lost and lost on all counts," he said.
Jaitley said the Congress lost on the count that the need for the fighter jet was "acute and necessary".
"Why was national security compromised, the need of Indian Air Force compromised," he asked.
Rejecting charges about the government's involvement in the award of offsets, he said government had nothing to do with it and Dassault Aviation, the makers of Rafale fighter jet, had taken the decision.
Asked about the different prices given by the government and by Rahul Gandhi of the Rafale fighter jet, Jaitley said "government is correct and all figures given by Rahul Gandhi are wrong".
He said the government had stated that the price of basic Rafale fighter was nine per cent cheaper compared to the cost negotiated by the UPA government and that of weaponised aircraft was 20 per cent cheaper at 2016 prices.
He said escalation clauses in the agreement were differently worded and there would be further increase in prices. "Truth only has one version. Falsehood has many," Jaitley said.
Sitharaman said if the Congress does not stop its allegations, it will also be exposed politically.
The Congress on Friday accused the government of trying to hide its "theft" in the Rafale deal behind the court ruling and persisted with its demand for a JPC inquiry.
